


Before I met you

by ProtectiveIrondad



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Brief suicidal thoughts, Depression, Dysfunctional Family, Family Dynamics, Hurt Peter, Medical Conditions, Multi, Natasha Romanov Feels, Panic Attacks, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Avengers, Protective Tony Stark, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, credit goes to yuki1994, non-compliance with Avengers 1 and 2, non-compliance with Infinity War and End Game
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:06:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22767466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProtectiveIrondad/pseuds/ProtectiveIrondad
Summary: Tony survives the snap and all the original avengers are living peacefully together in the Tower. Until the team startle awake in the middle of the night by the sound of the alarm alerting them to an intruder. It turns out he is a teen with messy brown curls and doe brown eyes. He looks like he's been through hell and back, what would the Avengers do?
Comments: 7
Kudos: 97





	1. Escape

**Author's Note:**

> Leave comments please on how the story should go😆😊

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki : I assure you, brother, the sun will shine on us again.

Peter sighed as he sat in his cell.

It wasn't an average ordinary cell... It had bright medical lights, acidic sour smell and it was cold, it hurt his senses.  
The guards had just brought him dinner (though moistened bread looked more like mush than edible food). He kept fiddling with a loose string on his ragged grey shirt; eating wasn’t his priority right now. 

Peter looked around cautiously before turning his back to the door and peering at the camera. He sighed again as he ran through his mental plan of escape. Oh how much he wishes it finally works! 

He was maybe four when his parents sold him to a criminal organization called Hydra. He was forced to be a test subject, they tried brainwashing him, they hurt him! But what he hated most was training under the winter solider. 

He was a ruthless assassin, but what was more painful is the fact that Peter knew James Barnes wasn't always that way.

He had told him many stories of his friends and family to keep him afloat when the darkness of his cell consumed him whole, he cared for him, promised to always look out for him and protect him... but that was before Hydra brainwashed him. That was before they took away his only friend.

The person he met afterwards was his alleged mentor. He made him trained him mercilessly so hard day in and day out for years until one day, when he was 14, the winter soldier disappeared and never came back. Peter hasn’t seen or heard of him since then, and no one cared enough to tell him what happened. 

He was pulled back to the present by the sound of a sliding glass door closing a few rooms away. He didn't know much about this place besides the laboratories, the training/torture rooms and his cell. Thanks to his developed senses, he had heard kids screaming before, he assumed there were more cells and more labs since he hadn’t seen anyone in all his years of captivity. 

Peter was sure that the scientists who were in such a hurry to make him an enhanced didn’t know they actually succeeded, he didn’t want to give them the pleasure, besides... it was his one and only trump card! Ever since he found out about his powers, he began planning his escape.

He knew it wouldn’t be easy, but he decided he’d rather die than become their coldblooded, brainwashed hitman.

His fingers played with a sharpened piece of metal that one of the guards decided to leave in him after one of their ‘‘fun times’’, AKA torture games.

He wants to rescue the other kids who were there, but that could only be possible once he successfully escapes and reaches the ones named the avengers.  
All he knew about them was that they were some kind of superhero band that Hydra despised and that was what he held on onto. After all, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”.

Peter's ears twitched when he heard footsteps getting closer, he shifted making his chains rattle and scratch his already bruised skin. He looked at the metallic restrictions dangling from the walls all the way to his limbs. He took a deep breath getting ready for what he was about to do. 

He swiftly broke the cuffs thankful for his super strength and praying Hydra never finds out. He looked up when he heard the door open and he was met with the usual hateful black uniform of the guard adorned with tasers, sticks and guns. He had learnt the hard way what those are for. 

He waited until the guard was completely inside the cell to let chaos erupt. He quickly freed his legs, threw the shard he had at the camera successfully shattering the lenses then rushed to the guard slamming his head against the wall. He watched his body slump to the ground, his eyes widened seeing a pool of red liquid flow from beneath his head.  
He steeled himself, shaking his head to focus on his mission. He covered his mouth in an attempt to stop the gags as he quickly searched the guard’s pockets finding a key card and what looked like a map. He did a double-take scowling at his prison before he took off wishing to never come back. 

He was running down the hallway not pausing for a second when he heard the alarms. He only slowed down to swipe the card whenever there was a door figuring out easily which ones required lower security clearances.

He was running on pure Adrenaline, his breath too loud for his ears, his heartbeat too fast to be normal, but Peter saw the guards catching up to him and he couldn’t afford to stop. He quickly looked around scanning his surrounding to find a shortcut out. 

And there it was! An air vent! He ripped its cover out and threw it in the guards’ direction to distract them while he climbed up and made his way to what he hoped was outside.  
He followed his newly acquired sixth-sense, taking turns left and right as far away from danger as possible until he could finally see a dim light shining through a vent cover. He kicked it open and a cool breeze hit him in the face, he allowed himself to breathe it in deeply and smile.

He saw the shadows of trees created by the moonlight shining down on the forest. He jumped out of the vents and sprinted into the wilderness. He could hear loud heavy footsteps behind him but he knew he had the advantage, with his speed, the cover of the night and his enhanced instincts, he knew he could lose them.

He was finally getting away ............he was finally free!


	2. free and Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part of the journey is the end- tony

The wind whipped past his ears as he ran, but it felt like a caress.

He was running away from everyone and everything he ever knew. He slowed his pace once the pounding of his tormentors' footsteps was no longer reaching him.  
Peter felt something wet fall down his face, he wiped it off with his palm and sniffled as he realized he was crying. "Come on Peter...you’re stronger than this! You did it, you’re free!" he scolded himself. His body was exhausted, his bare feet were bleeding, his stomach was caving in on itself from starving for too long, but he felt at peace, his head was clear, he could breathe freely and it was like nothing he felt before. Maybe that was the reason his mind wasn’t processing things the way it should. Maybe that’s why he was crying when he felt the happiest he’d ever been! 

He unfolded the map and something fell off. It was a picture of a flashy middle-aged man with a weirdly shaped beard and darkened glasses standing next to a bulky blond man in an outfit, a red, white and blue suit. Under the photo, there was a caption " Tony Stark and Steve Rogers" it read. They must be one of them! Thay must be Avengers.  
Peter studied the map, it showed the way to a city. He assumed, no, he hoped he was in the same forest the map was showing.  
He gazed up at the sun remembering the one useful thing the winter soldier taught him other than killing people " east to west that means that's.....north " he said pointing to it and walking its way. 

He’ll make it... he had to!  
»»—--—⍟—--—««  
(Back at the Avengers’ tower)  
Steve sighed: "come on Tony it’s time for bed" he called out walking down the stairs to the lab. Friday quickly opened the doors leading him inside.  
Tony looked up as he heard the sliding noise, " Stevie!" he said smiling as he put down the mechanical arm of the suit he was tinkering at. The engineer looked down at his watch smiling more when he saw what time it was "okay, okay... I'm coming" he said as he put down his goggles and tools and walked towards Steve, wrapping his arms around Steve's shoulders.

"You’re finally smart enough to read the time!" Steve teased which earned him a light slap on the arm as well as Tony's cry of shock arguing that his three PhDs beg to differ. Once they stepped inside the elevator, the elder said "Friday take us to our floor" resting his back on the metallic wall as the electric doors closed. Tony smirked: "well you've finally learned how to read Digital!" he joked not at all surprised by the slap he got back.

They waited a few minutes until the elevators’ doors opened again and both of them headed out. They quickly changed into some night clothes and climbed into bed as Friday shut the lights off attempting to sleep as the clock read 11:25 pm.

(In the city)  
Peter watched as the lights turned off in the higher levels of the tower. Thanks to his hearing he could tell which floors were inhabited while being on the roof of the next building. 

He had managed to get out of the forest in one piece, the sight of city lights and the noises of cars and people were unimaginably relieving!  
He ran to the first alley he saw, as much as he was happy to find the city, his senses couldn’t bare with all the chaos, it had already begun overwhelming him and he felt more on edge.

An old woman approached him, and maybe it was his appearance, or maybe it was the violent flinch and the look of absolute terror he showed when she spoke to him that called for her empathy, but he was thankful for her reaction nevertheless. Now, thanks to her, he was wearing a black hoodie and sweat pants, still no shoes, but the rag she gave him to wrap his damaged soles in was a bliss in itself, besides, she seemed like she needed a pair of shoes herself going by her look, she might have been homeless, being in the streets that late.

Once he was dressed and out of the women’s sight, he climbed up the building next to the huge tower with a massive ‘A’ on the top of it. He chose the backside as to not be visible.

Now that he knew where he needs to be, he took a steadying breath "Come on, they are the only ones who can help!" he said, working up the nerve to take the leap from the rooftop he was on to the glass-walls of the tower. 

He slowly crept up silently like the sticky arachnid he had become, his mutation has shown its usefulness at times like these.  
He unsuccessfully tried every window, he then stopped at a space that looked like a big family's living room with high ceilings and a large couch as well as a very large flat-screen TV. It felt safe and warm and inviting and he shortly considered breaking the glass to get in, but he decided his old friends, the air vents, were a much better option. 

He quickly made his way to the first one he saw and crawled in. Peter could easily make his way through the darkness since it had not affected his ability to see, yet another upside to his powers. He was about to mentally pat himself on the shoulder in congratulations when he brushed one of his deeper wounds against a sharp screw and let out a loud yelp of pain. It was then when a horrifying alarm burst through the building. 

The sound was too much for Peter and he moved to cover his ears, which in hindsight was the wrong thing to do as the vent let out under his weight and fell to pieces taking him down with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For my imagination it runs wild all the time and I'm creating a new book called The sense of the beginning it's going to be mostly avengers one shots. So check it out
> 
> P.S sorry for it being so short but I'm not abanding it


	3. Friend or Foe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There was an idea to bring together a group of remarkable people, to see if we could become something more"- Nick Fury

Natasha jumped up at the sound of the alarm and Friday’s voice repeating "intruder on the 95th floor!'' in as much worry as an AI could manage. She quickly grabbed her knife and headed down the elevator towards whoever dared to hurt her family.

-

Bruce jerked up in a panic, he quickly looked around before instructing himself to take some deep breaths in hopes of keeping the big guy in. Multiple scenarios played in his mind as what could go wrong in the next few minutes, but being the pacifist he was, he decided he didn’t want bloodshed in their home, so he grabbed the sedatives he has in his safe, running outside his room before stopping suddenly and turning around, whoever or whatever this intruder was might be unordinary, if the fact he was able to break through Stark’s high-security tower is anything to go by. He then quickly took off following Friday’s instructions.

-

Wanda’ red energy swirled around her as she covered her ears from the loud alarm. She made her way to the bedroom down the hallway and she hastily shook Pietro awake as he let out a slurry "я проснулся" before jumping up tiredly and following her towards the elevator.

-

Vision let out a sigh mourning the peaceful silence as he phased through walls and ceilings towards the mentioned floor to see what the fuss was about and hopefully ending it with minimum damages.

-

Clint would definitely prefer waking up to the cries of his kids needing to poop or have more milk because honestly, he’s getting old for the chemicals’ rush and his brain going highwire alerting him to danger. He grabbed his non-lethal arrows and his quilt heading out of his bedroom with a heavy sight, Tony would certainly make them clean the mess later and right now, he’s questioning all his life choices.

-

Bucky’s whole being shook at the sound, flashbacks jumped to the forefront of his memory before he took a giant gulp of air and reminded himself he was in the Avengers’ tower, no Hydra, no SHIELD. Being both an ex-assassin and an ex-rogue was apparently not that easy to get over, which is why he took out the gun from his weapons’ cabinet and ran to where the intruder was. Because whoever decided they could steal this peaceful life from his friends would have to go through him first.

-

Steve and Tony both jumped up at the sounds. Tony quickly called his suit to him, worry filling him as it surrounded his figure while Steve grabbed his shield from under the bed and they both ran/ flew out of the room and head towards the living room.

-

Peter groaned as he slowly tried to get up putting a hand on his head and looking around while clumsily pushing his body to stand up and walk forward. However, he found himself trapped in what seemed to be a cube made of light, one he couldn't get out of.

"OH NO!!" he hissed, his breath started leaving his lips in short loud wheezes, his chest constricted and black spots started floating in his field of vision. He was panicking, he felt cold sweat running down his nape, he felt bile rising up his throat... “Please no! Not again!!!”

-

Once out of the elevator Steve and Tony weren't surprised to see everyone else waiting. "Any idea what’s this about?" asked Wanda as she continued down the hall. Pietro was mumbling what sounded like " I didn't ask to be awakened in the middle of the night!" when Vision came out through the wall scaring him out of his skin and earning him snickers from Natasha and Clint "Well... one way to find out!" declared an annoyed Tony.

“How can anyone sneak in here and reach the living room without being detected?" exclaimed Natasha tightening her grip on the knife. "I don't know, but they’re about to get their asses handed to them!" Clint said before an exasperated "language" came from Steve alongside a slap on the back of his head. The familiar banter seemed to ease Pietro’s and Wanda’s nerves, which Bruce appreciated, but he wouldn’t be lying if he said he was worried. They took the last turn leading out of the corridor and into the living room. Tony went out first aiming his repulsors to the heat signal his AI detected, ready to shield the rest of his team with his bulletproof armour.

However, the moment they entered the living room, arms on the ready and stances of heroes prepared to fight ardently, the sight the avengers were met with made them all freeze on the spot unable to fathom what emotion to let loose first.


	4. Panic and Realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "If we're going to win this fight, some of us might have to lose it"- clint
> 
> leave comments on what yall think and whoever has commented thank you

A chorus of hisses reverberated through the hallways of the tower, there, under the wrecked pieces of an air vent, was a teenager, no! a kid! Brown doe eyes looking frantically everywhere, brown curls sticking together with sweat, blood and dirt, a huge blueish bruise covering half his small face, the other half decorated with cuts and traces of what looked like mud. He was crouching down tense and vibrating, hands clutching his dirty-way-too-big-sweater as if his life depended on it. They could hear his laboured breathing, they saw his teary eyes looking right through them.

Bruce knew... everyone knew... they didn’t need to be doctors to recognize a panic attack, they all had them, they all remember what they looked like, what they felt like. But, who is this kid? Should they help? Stay cautious? Grab him or leave him be? Shout or stay silent?

»»—--—⍟—--—««

Peter heard a violent intake of air, multiple actually, but as much as he told his mind that he was no longer in the cell nor in the lab nor in the whole freaking base, his mind refused to cooperate.

He felt cold sweat trickle down his forehead, his vision tunnelling, shadows appearing from all sides, his senses went highwire, his body was already feeling the pain he was sure to get real soon.

Their voices echoed in his head, the alarm seeming a hundred times louder, he was whimpering, biting down on his lips to muffle his voice, they enjoy it when he screams, they love hearing his pained cries, his pleas, his begging... and he hated satisfying them, he loathed their cold laughter as much as he did their fake reassurances.

Oh God! What if they find out? His injuries heal faster, his senses respond quicker... if they know, they’ll destroy him! They’ll do everything they can to turn him into a soldier, they’ll kill him over and over and over again just to revive him and repeat. Who was he kidding? They already did! He shouldn’ t have run... how stupid is he? To think they’d let him escape just like that...

“Petey?” a familiar voice said, it sounded surprised and sad, worried? Maybe? Petey ... how long since he last heard that name? Months, no, years... he can’t remember, his lungs need oxygen, his whole body feels on fire, he’s choking on his own air. Voices are reaching his ears again, but they sound far, echoey, as if he was underwater... was he in the tank room again? Were they torturing him because he tried to escape? That would explain why he couldn’t breathe and why water was obstructing his vision...

“He’s going to pass out anyway, is this really necessary, Tony?”

“Steve, please, I know him, please do something! Come on Peter, look at me kid!”

Were they talking to him? About him? Who’s Tony? And Steve? Are they new people? Did they bring new experts just for him? Great! Now he’d definitely become a soldier... no! No way! He needed to do something, he’d have to kill himself before they turn him into a murderer... but how?

His hands scrambled around trying to take a hold of the sharp pieces digging into his skin right where his legs touched the ground, he felt hand restraining him, he squirmed, thrashed, kicked and yelled, he might have bitten something but before he could register what was happening or why he couldn’t fight, his whole body felt numb and darkness consumed him taking away his consciousness.

»»—--—⍟—--—««

Tony’s heart ached for the kid, he looked in pain, frightened, he certainly has been through hell. But Friday made him see what the others couldn’t, a hideous logo branded on the kid’s skin right under his shoulder, the boy was Hydra...

Now he might be a victim, he might not be a part of a genius German scheme to take down the Avengers, but Tony wasn’t taking risks. He doesn’t trust people easily, ... with the circumstances being as they are, he’s even more sceptical.

“Petey?” ... okay, what the ... that was definitely Bucky, THE James Buchanan ‘Bucky’ Barnes, mister winter soldier, ex-brainwashed-coldblooded-assassin, metal arm/metal heart and frozen dead-fish eyes, capsicle number two and he’s... calling a stranger Petey!

He might need to hear this, does he? No, he doesn’t want to hear this... his repulsors are up again, this time though, he’s facing Bucky: “Move aside, are you crazy?” he said trying to sound as menacing as possible.

“I know him! Please Tony, just let me talk to him, there’s no way he’s a threat, I swear!” was the response of the older man.

“His vitals tell a different story Bucky” began Tony stressing the sounds saying his name “So does that brand under his left shoulder”

“Please! Just... wait!! Steve! I swear he’s not one of them, I give you my word!”

Steve looked hesitant, the situation didn’t need much explaining, the Iron man-Winter soldier duo were talking about Hydra and honestly, the kid wasn’t helping himself coming through the vents. Though, it’s kind of understandable that no one would let him in past the reception looking the way he does.

Bruce’s voice cut his line of thoughts then “He’s going to pass out anyway, is this really necessary, Tony?”

“What’s the alternative Banner? I can’t just welcome him and treat his wounds! He’s Hydra if you didn’t get that still! And he came through the vents of the 95th floor so that should tell you he’s not your average kid! What should I do? YOU tell me!”

“Not kill him obviously! He’s just a kid, looks barely a couple years older than my firstborn” Clint chimed in giving them the protective parent look.

“I hate to interrupt your lovely conversation boys, but I think the kid is trying to make the decision for you”

They all returned their gazes towards the still panicking teen, just in time to see him struggling to pick up the vent’s broken pieces and holding them dangerously close to his neck, Clint and Bucky jumped to his side as if by instinct “Steve, please, I know him, please do something! Come on Peter, look at me kid!”

Bruce took the pained expression on Tony’s face as his signal, injecting the kid (by then fully freaking out) with Captain-America-level-sedatives while hoping the dosage wouldn’t kill him.

The scene was heartbreaking, the boy’s pleas and tears crashed their hearts and they just waited in silence for him to fall limp in Bucky’s arm, cries dying down and tears drying up...


	5. Down the memory lane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No man can win every battle, but no man should fall without a struggle.- Peter Parker

Bucky stood up quickly when he heard footsteps approaching his cell readying himself for yet another fight with his captors even though he knew he would lose it.

However, for the first time in the long months he’d spent in that hell-hole, they didn’t stop by his door. His heart dropped when he saw them dragging a kid with brown messy hair. He winced when they threw the already bruised boy in the cell next to his, he tried acting uninterested as he watched sideways through the glass walls while the youngster was regaining consciousness.

He waited until no guards were in sight before whispering “Hey, kiddo... You’re alright, keep breathing for me okay?”

The boy looked distraught, he couldn’t be older than four or five years, and if Bucky felt terror from the simple sight of those monsters, it was no surprise that the child was throwing himself into a violent panic attack.

The soldier kept whispering reassurances, keeping his voice as calm as he could in hopes of helping the innocent kid who seemed to be finally breathing a bit easier “Hey, good work kid, now talk to me, yeah? How about you tell me something about you... like...what’s your name?" he asked realizing that despite being friends with weak sickly Steve for the longest time, he wasn’t really that much of a comfort-giver.

“P-P-Peter " the boy stuttered looking up. Bucky’s heart broke at the sight of this child’s face, tears running down his cheeks, eyes puffy and red and gaze filled with fear and sadness no kid should ever feel. Now, more than ever, he wished there was a way for Steve, his team-mates or anyone to know he was alive and needed help. Because even if he somehow can make it in here, this kid probably wouldn’t. Knowing the heartless beasts keeping them captive, they don’t care that he’s a child...

“That’s a nice name” he hummed finally, going back to the task at hand “How old are you, Peter?" Bucky asked

“f-four...what’s y-your name m-mister?" the boy whispered back

“Bucky, my name is Bucky kid"

A whimper brought Bucky back from the flashback he was seeing, he followed the small pitiful sound to the frail body lying on his lap.

The teen’s shirt was lifted up from all the struggling he’d done before succumbing to the drugs injected into him, and he could see the awful painting that dirty hoodie was hiding.

Colourful bruises all over his torso, ribs almost popping out of his skin scars that didn’t look like they were fading any time soon... he followed thin pink lines all the way down below his waist, dark burn marks up to his collarbone,... he couldn’t help tearing the piece of clothing off and his eyes turned red with anger when he saw the hydra symbol burned into his arm.

Now that there was nothing between him and Peter’s back, he felt before he saw all the blood seeping onto his own clothes and through them forming a red ugly stain that kept growing.

He groaned barely controlling his shaking hands and looked up at bruce “You have to help him, Please!" he implored, guilt and sadness overtaking his expression in a way they never did before.

Bruce’s eyes softened “Let's take him to the medbay?” It sounded more like a question than a statement as he looked at Tony for a response.

Tony’s whole stance quaked, hesitance clear in every single movement he did “He still broke in here... he has something to do with hydra for sure... what if he’s a spy? What if ... by letting our guard down, we’re allowing them to destroy us?” Tony asked clearly not liking the situation any better than all the rest did.

Vision spoke up for the first time since the alarm first blasted

“We are the Avengers, what will we stand for if we lock up a kid..who, for all we know had no choice in becoming associated with our enemies and who can very well be innocent? When you decide not to be afraid, you can find friends in super unexpected places, Tony. I am sure Mister James can clear things up in due time, but for now, helping him is what we must do. Because that is what we stand for!”

»»—--—⍟—--—««

“Harder!” he screamed, he was thankful they made him wear a mask when he had to train Peter. He knew he was hurting the kid, he hated it, but he couldn’t stop it, his body was moving on its own accord, and he was there watching helplessly as the boy kept fighting, receiving more pain in every session, yet not giving up once. He was making the agents frustrated, they couldn’t control him, no matter how brutal the torture was, the kid never obeyed...

-

“We will escape one day, Petey! I promise you... We will be out of here and you’ll meet Steve, I’ll even get him to give you his shield, you’ll be the coolest kid out there!” Bucky whispered to the barely conscious kid lying on the cold tiles of the neighbouring cell.

He was bleeding, hurt and ... empty! He’d never forget the look of betrayal on his face when they removed the mask, the pain that flashed in Peter’s eyes for a split second before they turned void from any emotion.

-

Bucky fought the hands dragging him with every last bit of energy left in him as they got closer to the cryo-chamber, he felt straps holding him in place before an icy fog clouded his vision, slowly he felt the darkness nudging at his conscience and he gave up to the slumber, his last thought was an image of innocent strong Peter as his mind froze and a single tear ran down solidifying before reaching his chin.

\---

Doctor Helen Cho was looking at a clipboard sighing almost imperceptibly and unknowingly prolonging the suspense.

All the Avengers were sat in the waiting room waiting for her to announce the verdict, a mixture of worry and caution almost tangible in the air surrounding them.

Bucky, unable to wait anymore asked her not caring to hide his concern “How is he?”

With yet another sigh, the woman began the longest list she ever had to explain:

“Multiple lacerations, fractured ribs, stab wounds, gunshot wounds, dislocated shoulders, broken left kneecap, broken ankles old enough that we’ll have to rebreak them and set them back right, lashing marks on his back some of them too deep for simple stitches, second-degree burns in almost every part of his skin, traces of water in his lungs, electrocution burns near his temple, multiple concussions, and his blood...” she exhaled heavily before shaking her head sadly “I’ve never seen a sample as concentrated with poison and stimulation drugs as his... not to mention the traces of medical procedures done in his chest and back area... whatever they experimented on him worked though... his DNA test showed a mutation I couldn’t identify, what I know is that he probably has enhanced senses, an enhanced metabolism and his genetic structure is very similar to that of an arachnid.”

She locked eyes with some of them before adding “This boy has been tortured for years... I really have no idea how he could survive but I’m sure he will need as much help as we could offer”

She handed what looked like a report to Tony “This is what I think they’ve done to him from his injuries, nothing conclusive and probably a lot less than what actually happened since his mutation comes with a healing factor apparently.”

Tony’s eyes widened as he held the “report” and started flipping through many long pages filled with words most of which made his guts churn uncomfortably.

Bucky’s knees wobbled and he all but fell into his seat holding his head between his hands

“Buck?...who is this?... why... how did this happen to him?” sam asked unsure if he was ready to hear whatever Barnes knew

“Don’t... don’t hold anything back...” Tony whispered before adding an almost inaudible “Please”

Bucky started telling the story he wished he never had to think of, he told them about the kid’s parents selling him to Hydra for who-knows-what-reason, he told them about the torture sessions he witnessed Peter go through, he told them about the times they made him train the kid and the times they made him push the buttons that caused Peter to scream in agony, he told them about the times he caught the kid trying to kill himself because he refused to become a murderer, because he’d rather die than become like them, he told them how Peter was the only one Hydra couldn’t brainwash, he told them that the brown-eyed child was stronger than he would ever be, that Peter is a hero who never gave up his humanity, who took the pain every waking minute rather than sparing himself and just doing what they asked him to do, he told them that Peter was the only one who stood up to Hydra knowing he had no powers and no weapons, nothing... He told them how he failed him and how he broke his promise, how he was a coward, too scared to go back and save him...

Tears were running down from his eyes like a waterfall, Bucky didn’t care how unsightly his appearance looked for the others, the guilt was consuming him for way too long and now that everything was exposed, the feelings dark and raw attacked him full force and he couldn’t control them.

Steve put a comforting hand on his friend’s shoulders, he always knew that Hydra broke Bucky in a way he couldn’t really fix, but never, in a million years could he imagine they were capable of such atrocities. He turned to see the bedridden kid through the glass window separating his room from theirs feeling a mixture of pity and respect towards the kid. No human deserves to go through what he’s been through, and he was willing to do everything in his power to help the kid, for both his sake and Bucky’s.

Wanda felt sorry for Peter, what she’s experienced seemed nothing compared to what he’s been through, but she felt close to him, she would do anything to make this boy feel as welcome and safe as she and her brother does.

Bruce was discreetly doing his breathing exercises, he hated people who manipulated Science for their own twisted agendas, and he hated people hurting innocent children even more, he wasn’t a fan of the green guy’s coping mechanisms but he would certainly make an exception for the next Hydra-related-mission.

Natasha hated the weird feeling in her heart listening to Bucky’s story, she felt on edge, the sight of the pale boy in the next room didn’t help, the whole list of possible torture methods used on him her mind supplied made it even worse. Her hands itched, she wasn’t holding back when they inevitably head out to the base the boy ran from, OH how much she’d enjoy killing them this time, she was already preparing a list of the most painful ways she could use in a mission’s time-limit.

Tony never fell so hard, so fast and it scared him. Something about the kid made his sassy cold heart constrict since the first time he laid eyes on his small bloodied frame, but now? Now, the voice screaming at him to wrap the boy in warm fluffy blankets and feed him his favourite meals was drowning that other far aways voice telling him that they still don’t know for sure that Hydra failed at brainwashing the kid after Bucky left...

No, actually, something tells him that even if he were brainwashed, he wanted to try and save him, just like Cap did with Bucky... Because for some reason, this boy was important, for some reason, every molecule in his body wanted to protect him...

For some reason, Peter felt like family!


	6. Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Tony, trying to get you to stop has been one of the few failures of my entire life.”  
> ~ Pepper Potts

Everything was dark. Peter shivered, the voices of his tormentors ringing in his ears like a broken record. He could feel softness around him … a mattress he was laying on and a fluffy cover shielding him from the cold, he could hear birds chirping softly outside, wherever that might be, it smelled … clean, no puke, no dirt, no burnt skin, just… cleanliness.

He tried to slowly move his hands, get a better understanding of his surroundings, something was different, too different that he had to force himself to full consciousness: there was no pain! Haven’t they punished him yet? He opened his eyes a tiny bit just to quickly shut them again, the light too blinding that he hissed and his breathing sped up...was he going to be experimented on again? They only used intense lighting when that part came in.

He started to hyperventilate, he really couldn’t take it again. But then a gentle voice reached his ears and abruptly stopped his panic “ Friday, please shut the blinds and dim the lights down to 20 per cent” It sounded like a woman, he rarely met people of the opposite gender in his prison and those he met… he did not like. However, this voice made him feel oddly safe. His mind unhelpfully wondered who the heck was Friday? But he was drawn back to the voice when it spoke again: “Come on sweety... It's okay now, you can open your eyes, it won’t hurt I promise.”

Peter hadn’t realized he closed his eyes, it felt like sandpaper when he blinked again, the lady speaking to him coming into focus. She had a beautiful face, ginger hair, blue eyes,… she was wearing a white dress and her easy smile exuded a warm comforting aura “Hello there kiddo…..I’m Virginia Pepper Potts, but you can call me Pepper. As long as I’m here, none of these crack heads is going to get near you. Can I call you Peter?” she asked still speaking softly in a lowered voice.

Peter was … surprised to say the least. Not only was this lady, Pepper, telling him in few words that he was actually OUT of the cell, that he hadn’t dreamt it all and that he is free, but also, she made all the big, muscly scary men in the room look as pitiful as kicked puppies!! And she wasn’t even addressing them. He remembered being asked a question, and according to his experience, it always ends badly if he doesn’t respond. He was still sore all over and felt way too tired, he couldn’t possibly afford a punishment at this point. He opened his mouth to form an answer, but it felt dry and he ended up coughing violently and opting for a weak nod instead.

Pepper gave him a sympathetic look, handing him a cup of water before studying his features silently. He drunk the whole glass eagerly, the lukewarm liquid feeling like a blessing to his overused throat. “How old are you Peter?” She asked again “F-fourteen?” he stuttered, it sounded like a question even to his own ears, the quizzical looks of the occupants of the room made him feel vulnerable “I-I’m not s-sure… I l-lost count…”

he defended barely above a whisper. “It’s… It’s okay kid. You’re not in trouble.” A man said. He looked in his early forties, with a weird hairdo and holding a bow and quiver? Peter’s senses didn’t go crazy about the guy, but his gaze was too strong, it felt intimidating as if the man could read his mind and know his deepest secrets. “Do you know where you are?” Another man, a blond, oh! He recognized this man from the picture, so he’s either Tony Stark or Steve Rogers…. Right! The question! Where was he? He ran away, he wanted to reach the … “Avengers?” he asked out loud “That’s us, buddy”

A man in glasses and a doctor’s outfit, please somebody tell him he’s not there to test something on him… wait he said,… these people ARE the Avengers? It’s then that Peter realized he hadn’t really looked at the other occupants of the room. He could register their huge build and strong vibe, but Pepper made him too comfortable that he let his guard down and didn’t consider them a threat. The sensical part of his brain supplied that they would’ve hurt him already if they wanted to since he obviously couldn’t win a fight against them all even if he had his powers fully functional, but there was nothing the rest of him didn’t freak out at recently… probably why his heartbeat became erratic and he did a thorough once over through the room checking every face.

The man with the weird beard was there, as well as a brown-haired girl in a red cloak, a red-hair in a black tight outfit, the man with the bow and arrows, the doctor, a sleepy blond young man, a… Holy éàçù§/!... was that a man floating in the air and having a … red skin!!?? Moving on, it was probably a concussion making him see things, so the next person was Pepper and… a man is sitting behind her… he would’ve missed him if not for the shiny metal arm, the long light brown hair and those eyes he would never forget in a million years… That was Bucky! He wasn’t dreaming, he wasn’t hallucinating, the voice calling him “Petey” before was Bucky, but how? It couldn’t be possible… of all the places he could be, they met at the one building Peter chose to run to, away from his past, away from the memories, the pain, the torture.

No. They got him! They really outdid themselves this time and made him literally lose it. Creating this sophisticated illusion where some resemblance of hope is there for him to be saved, but it was all fake, Bucky was there, a doctor was there, those weird painful lights, the cube cage, the deafening alarm sounds. He was definitely still in the base, he never made it past his prison, they were going to make him pay tenfolds for that attempt. Peter didn’t realize he was panicking, his breathing became erratic, the machine next to him getting louder the higher his heart-rate goes. “Petey?” … Him again! Bucky! No, stop it. “Stop the mind games already! This isn’t real! I never made it out, so just punish me already, do whatever you want, make it as painful as you like and I’d love it if you kill me and get it over with ….so Just. Stop. This!” He screamed tears falling from his eyes like waterfalls. No one moved, they all just looked at him, eyes wide and showing different expressions from surprise, to pity.

Suddenly, the red-cloaked girl stepped closer to him holding out her hand and smiling “Hello, my name is Wanda Maximoff. I’m an Avenger. They call me the Scarlet witch. I am a 100% real and I’d rather die than work for Hydra.” Peter was almost ready to flee when she approached him but he certainly wasn’t expecting that. The girl, Wanda pointed to the weird beard guy “That broody guy over there is Tony Stark AKA Iron man, a self-centred idiot in a metal can, but deep down he can be an actual human” The man let out an indignant yelp and Pepper snickered whispering so only Peter could hear “I can vouch for that” Wanda then pointed to the doctor “That is Doctor Bruce Banner, he can turn into a huge green guy with some self-preservation issues but it’s under control. Can’t say the same about his room though, I still don’t know how the floor looks like in there!” “Hey, I can clean!! Gee” The Doctor retorted his face turning red. “The old dude with the bow and quiver is Clint Barton also called Hawkeye, don’t worry though, his eyes see nothing but his family and his lover, and by lover I mean the bow” “I love my wife, don’t fuel their competition damn it!” The man reprimanded his eyes glancing lovingly to his bow. “Now the red flying weirdo is Vision, he’s not human, still working on processing feelings and learning when a situation requires him to shut up.” “That is true.” He deadpanned unphased.

“The cool redhead over there is Natasha Romanov AKA Black Widow, fair warning: she knows EVERYTHING and she’s an assassin so better not get on her bad side” “I take my reputation very seriously.” She smirks winking at Peter “The blond leaning on the wall over there is an actual old man, his name is Steve Rogers, we all call him Cap, short for Captain America. He’s Bucky’s friend and they’re both old geezers who speak like grand-parents, don’t know any pop references and don’t appreciate the greatest human achievement known as memes.” “Yeah… Sorry for being old Kid!” Steve responded sheepishly.

“Finally, that sleepyhead is my brother Pietro Maximoff or Quicksilver. He has super speed but his brain’s super slow so don’t expect great things” “Hey!! I’m your brother! Why am I getting sassed too?” He whisper-yelled looking betrayed. Wanda just shrugged and turned back to Peter who felt much calmer, his sniffles the only indicator he had been crying. “Believe me, Peter, Hydra can not make this combo of weird-ass super-strong amazing people and put them in one room without them eating each other's heads off. This is real. We are real. Bucky made it out and got help from Cap then joined us and now you did.

This isn’t a mind game I promise you.” Wanda was looking right into Peter’s eyes and somehow he trusted her. This could be real. He looked back at Bucky, if he hadn’t known better he’d think the winter soldier was about to cry, they kept gazing at each other for a while, both of them seeing memories of their times together, then Bucky spoke. “Do you remember my friend Steve? That is him. I thought I was still young, I though someone might be looking for me and we could be saved but it turned out I’ve been in and out of the ice for years before I met you and I was put back into int right after they made me … hurt you.” Bucky seemed unable to keep the eye contact and Peter wasn’t complaining. He believed Bucky, he knew even then that Hydra was controlling him and that his friend would’ve never hurt him willingly. However, his body developed an instinct, he’s sent into a fight or flight mode whenever he sees one of them and Bucky was not an exception. To everyone’s surprise, the moment was broken by a loud sound from Peter. “Petey… how long since they gave you anything to eat?” Asked James Well, they gave him when he escaped but he didn’t eat it.

Given the sunlight from the window, he’d assume it hadn’t been a full day since he came here so that would be the day before. Lately, they haven’t had a schedule with food and his metabolism made him painfully aware of it, the day before and the day before that… He started counting with his fingers trying to pinpoint the last time he ate anything, by number six he heard a growl

“Oh my God! He needs food now. You know what? Let’s call Doctor Cho, I want her to tell us what the kid can and can not eat.” Tony Stark spoke for the first time and for some reason Peter didn’t find his loudness scary or painful, especially that it conveyed the promise of much-needed food.


	7. Avenging The Spider

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The only thing permanent in life is impermanence-Thor
> 
> Beta is : Yuki1994

Tony felt so out of his element. The kid woke up way earlier than Doctor Cho predicted indicating that his modified metabolism is much more complicated than that of the Captain.

Then that raw panic and those words he said after his reunion with Bucky, it kind of gave him flashbacks of his time in Afghanistan… thank God for Wanda! And as if that wasn’t heart-wrenching enough, they found out the boy has been starving. He must admit, he kind of been in a trance watching the boy count with his fingers, somehow he tried making himself believe it was just hours not DAYS!

So when he got to six and he was still making a calculating face, he had enough! No kid is starving on his watch, Hydra or not, Peter needs to eat!

Speaking of that evil organization of a bunch of ugly psychopathic animals with weird accents. Tony was so going to bust their asses this time! His adrenaline was already pumping through him, not so patient to attack the base Peter ran from, though he convinced himself to at least wait until the kid eats something.

Doctor Cho explained that due to the treatment he’s been subjected to, Peter wasn’t able to eat consistent food, she informed them that it would take a while for his metabolism to get back to its normal functioning.

That’s when Steve offered to make soup telling them that Rhodes expected this when he heard what went down and that he’d been already on his way with groceries.

So for the time being, jello should be enough to stop the boy’s belly from eating itself!

While waiting for James’ arrival, Tony, Natasha, Steve and Dr Banner moved to a corner of the room and started planning their next move:

“If we don’t attack this evening at the latest, we won’t find anyone in the base!” pressed the black widow

“Agreed! But the information we have isn’t enough. This might be a trap” countered the Captain

“Are you saying you’re still suspicious of the kid?” inquired Bruce

“Well, truth be told what we know about him isn’t really enough to totally rule the possibility out” started Tony holding his hand up to interrupt Banner’s argument before adding “However, I’m assuming Capsicle here is putting the possibility of Peter being purposefully let out. I won’t put it past those bastards to use the kid to lure us to them.”

“Hmm… well, we might know better by asking said kid, don’t you think?” asked Natasha

“What?! No” protested Bruce

“As much as I’d like to know more myself, I think it’s unfair to put Peter through the pressure of remembering his abductors” agreed Steve

“It’s okay”

… they were all startled by the young stuttering voice addressing them. The four of them made sure they were whispering and at a good distance from where Peter was. Yet it seemed like he missed no part of their conversation!

“What is?” asked Tony hesitantly just to confirm

“I-I can tell you whatever you n-need to know. The reason I came to y-you in the first place is that I think you’re the o-only ones capable of attacking the base and s-saving the new kids”

Peter’s voice was getting weaker by the end of his sentence, he didn’t meet anyone’s eyes and he was fumbling with an unexisting fibre on his cover.

Tony felt a bit faint, he did hear kids somewhere in there and the sight of Peter’s shaking hands didn’t help much.

“How did you know we were talking about that? And what new kids?” Asked Dr Banner curiously

“M-my hearing became really s-strong, I can hear sounds from outside this p-place.” He lifted his head gesturing to the door. All the adults followed his gaze and a few awkward moments of silence passed before Pepper stepped in wearing casual clothes and a comfortable pair of shoes without heels. Peter knew she was coming before she entered, hearing her light footsteps when none of the Avengers present in the room did. “Oh” whispered Steve understanding what the kid demonstrated. Peter continued then in a shy voice “T-that is also how I knew they b-brought other kids to the base. I h-heard them cry many nights. I… I had a map on me, I followed it to g-go through the woods and reach the b-big tower with the huge “A” on it.”

“So we can retrace the path you took to get to the base, do you have an idea how many kids are there?” asked Natasha

“F-five or six… I’m not sure, they w-were screaming at them all the time. B-but, I know them f-for sure. They’re twenty-two s-scientists, a hundred and f-fifty guards, thirteen engineers a-and six soldiers.”

“Okay, wow! That’s very specific, kid. How did you know that?” asked Tony

“I-I memorized their files…”

Bucky who was silent all throughout the conversation spoke then “When they’re working on weapons or the ice chambers or some new formula to create soldiers, they kind of need all hands on deck… literally. They relied on Peter a lot, he got access to many files. That’s probably why they kept him even though the mind-control didn’t work, now that I think about it. He’s a genius! It didn’t take long for him to learn everything they taught him. Many scientists and engineers were fired because Peter outsmarted them in physics and atomic science and mechanics and all that jazz.”

Before the conversation takes any dark detour Pepper cooed catching their attention, she looked at them unimpressed “What? It’s cute! As if I needed any more reason to like this little sweety” She said fluffing Peter’s hair and squeezing his small cheeks.

Everyone giggled amused by the scene and how red Peter became in an instant.

***************************************

“He couldn’t be more accurate if he wanted to.” Announced War Machine “The heat signals confirms Peter’s intel.”

“Good. Do we have the exact localization of the kids?” Asked Captain America

“Yes, we do!” affirmed Sam

“Cap! As much as I love saving kids and all… I really want to kill some of those animals.” commented Hawkeye.

“All of them.” corrected the black widow.

“Don’t we all” singsonged Tony before adding “Green guy, angry enough yet?”

“I’m always angry” responded the hulk with a smirk.

“Okay, here’s the plan” announced Steve “Tony, Sam, you take the top levels, destroy their security systems and prevent them from escaping!”

“Aye Aye, Captain!”

“Natasha, Clint, you’ve got the tech rooms, try to stop them from deleting evidence!”

“Roger that!”

“Banner, you have the lab, collect all the files that might help us figure out what they managed to do these past years!”

“I can do that.”

“Colonel Rhodes, you’re with me, we’re saving those kids”

“No need to say it twice, cap”

They all ran/flew into the Hydra base, some agents were already running away, guards were shooting at them and some cowards in white overalls were screaming in German raising their hands and waiving in the universal surrender sign.

Tony scoffed, disgust and repulsion radiating through the cracks of his multi-billion suit.

Monsters who experiment on kids didn’t deserve mercy. But he knew that killing them would make him just like them, and he didn’t want that, so he flew past them signalling to Sam to restrain them.

Clint and Natasha were in a “seemingly” unfair fight, the two of them against forty or so armed men. However, contrary to what it looks like, they were winning easily. Time was of the essence though, especially that some trembling guy was messing with a computer hurriedly, glancing at the fighting bunch every so often, Clint’s arrow was a second too late, the huge screen showing a progress bar, the deleting process began!

Natasha ran towards the device fumbling with the keys to save at least some of the data managing just barely.

A loud conversation with Iron man later, told them it might be salvageable.

It took them two hours to finally get rid of all the Hydra nuisances. Sam and Colonel Rhodes escorted the kids away and to a safer place where Tony was going to make sure they get the proper care they need. The remaining avengers assembled in the tech room sharing their results.

Steve: “Some guards managed to run away”

Clint: “We got all the scientists here”

Natasha: “The soldiers were ‘meant’ to be enhanced, they were so weak I almost felt sorry for them”

Bruce “That makes sense, I found their medical files, all their experiments were a failure. They are physically ill if not dying.”

Tony: “I’m guessing you’ll know better once you take a better look, Doc. Right?”

Bruce: “Yeah, … I think I also found Peter’s files.”

All of them minus Bruce: “And?”

Bruce: “I hope I’m wrong about how they experimented on him, but they were thorough, the data they have, the results they were aiming for are horrifying, to say the least!”

Tony: “Well, hold that thought, I think I just recovered what this ancient computer had. Honestly, have they not heard of Stark technology? It’s not even that expensive!”

Steve: “Tony!”

Tony: “Okay, fine! A whole bunch of scribbles here, charts, stats, ooh! Weapon designs… we’re getting closer to the real deal… the RA-DNA-Mut project… what the hell is that?”

Bruce “Radioactive DNA mutation! That’s the one Peter is a part of!”

Tony: “There are videos here… a whole load of them!”

Natasha: “Well, dinner isn’t due yet, so … play them.”

As informant as some of the videos were, they came to regret watching them instantly! So much that they had a very angry, very green hulk going nuts and running away from the base to deal with!


	8. Chapter 8: Revelations

Natasha was running as fast as she could. As fit as she was, the Hulk was on a totally different level, sometimes she’s thankful they’re on the same team. There have been times she wondered if their so-called “Civil War” would’ve ended differently if Banner had joined one of the sides.

She heard the green guy’s angry scream and she slowed down. She grew to trust both the human side and the beast side of the man but she would still act cautiously around him, especially when he’s blindingly angry.

After their fight with Thanos, the avengers convinced Banner to return to his human form, seeing that it was quite inconvenient to walk around with a green guy the size of a gigantic truck. But apparently, the beast gets out of control when he stays dormant inside of the doctor for a while.

Bruce became a lot better at controlling him, but this situation is quite… unique if you ask Natasha. She herself is finding it very hard to contain her anger after what they saw.

That thought with the sight of the Hulk sitting defeatedly on a branch brought the recent memory back to the forefront of her mind in an instant.

The first video was old and of bad quality, but it still showed a very young, very scared Peter being chained to a metallic table and going through unending physical-tests and blood-withdrawals.

Then the more gory ones came and they were literally watching the kid… grow … in hell!

One recording showed Peter chained again, half-naked, weakly struggling against the painfully tight straps. Then one of the psycho scientists started cutting his chest open, no anaesthesia, no pain killers, no nothing!

The kid’s screams were heart-wrenching…

In another tape, he was hanging from a ceiling, all bruised and bloodied, some other jerks in white injecting him with a disgusting-looking-liquid. Natasha was fluent enough in German to understand what they were telling the poor kid. He was given chemicals that would prevent him from losing consciousness. They enjoyed watching him in pain.

Most of the videos offered them the unwanted sight of Peter being tortured, his nails removed, his teeth forcibly extracted, his skin mutilated, some contained horrible nightmarish experiments with the kid keening in pain be it from drugs in his system, or electricity running through him or some sadistic soldier using him as a freaking punching bag.

The rest of the tapes were from the surveillance camera in the child’s cell. The pitiful thing was writhing in pain most of the time, rarely being fed or given water and more rarely having his wounds treated.

Peter didn’t have his basic human rights let alone a normal joyful childhood.

Natasha was shaken out of her thoughts by the Hulk’s whimpering, she gently patted his shoulder.

“It’s over now. He’s free. We’ll take care of him and protect him. Come on. Let’s go back.” She whispered, repeating those reassurances over and over again until Bruce calmed down and regained control over his body.

He found Natasha smiling at him with a change of clothes handed to him.

They headed back to the base where the rest of the Avengers were still surrounding the big screen. “Why are you still watching them?” inquired the doctor appalled by how his friends could take it

“Those are different, Doc” answered Tony “It’s an understatement to call the kid a genius. Come see!”

The new videos showed Peter mastering big machines and creating weird fluids from chemicals, Tony was very impressed if the “wow”s and “damn!”s were anything to go by and Bruce became even more emotional.

***

(Time skip)

The Avengers were back in the tower. Bucky was awaiting their arrival, expecting their findings before even looking at their sullen faces. “They love to record their activities.” he said in response to Cap’s questioning gaze.

“Obviously!” commented Tony darkly.

“Where’s the kid now?” asked Bruce

“In the medbay with miss Potts and doctor Cho. He seemed more comfortable around them so I preferred to keep my distance, Vision stayed with them just in case.” answered Bucky with a sigh

“Well, this a better than ever time to discuss a few important things. Away from super-hearing and all.” Stated Natasha.

“Things like what?” asked Clint

The Black Widow locked her gaze with her fellow spy before putting a serious expression and explaining “What are we going to do with Peter from this point on? Where will he live? Are we looking for his parents? What about his mutation? Are we searching for a cure? Welcoming him as an avenger?...”

“What? No!!” exclaimed Bucky cutting her off “You’re not treating him like some specimen! He’s been through enough already!”

“Calm down, Buck! Nat brought to light some important details we must discuss urgently”

“I know, Steve. I just… We’re not giving him up, right?” he asked eyes looking pleadingly towards Tony Stark.

“No, we are not. He will live here with us. Pepper already adores him and clearly, none of us has the heart to let go of him. As for the other questions, I don’t know, I’m trusting you to know better, Bucky.”

“I don’t know either. It’s his decision, don’t you think?”

“He’s fourteen! You’ll make him take decisions like these? Come on, man! Don’t be biased!”

“I’m not, Hawkeye! I’m just trying to give him the choice! Besides, I think we can agree that for a fourteen years old kid, Peter has more wits and resolve than most of those who are three times his age!”

“Hmmm, correct. I say we leave this discussion until he’s feeling better. For now, we just welcome him to the family. What do you say?”

“No objections here, capsicle!”

“Thank you, Can-man. Now, let’s go visit the little hero and tell him the good news!”


End file.
